Immigration

I am an Immigrant.

I was born in a war-torn country and my parents sacrificed everything to bring me and my little sister to America in search of a better life. Tears form in my eyes every time I hear about refugees not having the chance to enter into the country. I cannot comprehend the hate and ignorance the leaders of our country possess when it comes to the topic of immigration. While, I understand that the country is not in the best place, especially with the new heads of the place, it is still a far better option than being in a country that you can’t call home anymore because your home might have disappeared the day before.

My short story

I was around the age of three when my family came to America. We had a few belongings in a suitcase or two and $100 to get us into the country. It seems as if the moment the airplane touched down my parents began the process of learning to understand English. We were placed in an apartment and a few months after our arrival, my parents were working and creating a full life for their family. While many back in the home country frowned upon their decision they were headstrong in everything that the decided to do and I can not thank them enough for it.

I do know that every situation is different, when it comes to gaining access into America, and I do think that the color of my skin and my religion probably influenced my entrance into the country. I hate that these are factors that are measured to allow entrance into this country so that a family can have a better future. I can not comprehend the racism of all of those “leaders” that hinders the entrance of all of those people.

My Parents

I think every immigrant, no matter what generation of immigrant that you are, will say, with your head held high, that your parents are some of the most hardworking individuals that have ever graced this earth. My parents worked backbreaking jobs ever single day of my childhood. My dad worked in a number of places I can’t even remember and now just can’t wait to finally take a break. My mom worked in a warehouse lifting boxes she shouldn’t have ever had to lift and now her hands are in constant pain and I can’t help her. My parents never let me and my sister know if we were having money troubles or if something was going terribly wrong, I think after living in a war-torn country everything else seems like a trivial problem.

Today

If I hadn’t been given the chance to come to America I wouldn’t have been able to go to college, I wouldn’t be able to live in a beautiful home, I wouldn’t have been able to travel (even just the tiny bit that I have) to other places in America and Europe, I wouldn’t have met the many amazing people that I have met, and I wouldn’t have been able to become such an open minded individual.

Maybe if I had stayed in the country I was born in all of the things above might’ve happened eventually and sure I would’ve been a lot closer to the rest of my family but I don’t think I would’ve had the same opportunities for my future as I do here. I had the chance to major in something extremely new and I’ve had the chance to be a kid for as long as I have.

I write this with a heavy heart and with tears in my eyes. I can not believe that refugees are being stopped from entering this country. People who have lost their homes to wars and violence, that this country has had a big hand in, are now in a state of fear and need a place to call their own, but this country is happy with going into their lands to “help them” but won’t allow them to bring their families to this country.

It has always been said that this country was built on immigrants and individuals running away from hate. Why does that have to stop now?